Monday, 10 December 2018:
 | | TRAVIS DEAN of Victoria bats during the Sheffield Shield match between Victoria and South Australia at the MCG in Melbourne, Australia. | |
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Two allrounders stood tall for Western Australia in the drawn Sheffield Shield clash with Victoria at the MCG, but unfortunately for Mitch Marsh he wasn't one of them.
In his first match since being dropped for the Test series opener against India, Marsh made a tentative 21 in the first innings and was dismissed for just 11 runs in the second.
Marcus Stoinis and Ashton Turner were the heroes on a final day that ended with their side 6-214.
Set a target of 337, WA were in deep trouble at 5-57 but Stoinis (85) and Turner (63 not out) combined for a 119-run partnership that frustrated the Vics.
"I obviously missed out with the bat ... I feel like I'm hitting the ball really well, so it's disappointing," Marsh told reporters.
"But I think there's a difference between being out of form and out of the runs and at the moment I'm just out of runs.
"I'm remaining very confident.
"I was obviously very disappointed to miss out on the first Test but I understood the reasons why.
"Ultimately you've got two ways to go about it - you can either sulk and go back into your shell or you can put a smile on your face and enjoy the hard work, enjoy the challenge getting back into the Test side.
"I was extremely disappointed, every Test match you miss out on is shattering, but it's always nice to play for WA."
Marsh arrived at the crease with his side in trouble at 2-7 before lunch on Monday, but he added to the visitors' woes when he was trapped in front by Jon Holland.
As a member of the unchanged extended squad, Marsh remains an outside chance to earn a recall for the historic first Test match to be played at Perth's Optus Stadium.
But he knows he didn't press his claims with the ball either.
"I haven't quite got the wickets I would have liked," he said after he finished with figures of 1-102 for the match.
"I think it was a case of definitely trying too hard leading up to the Test match trying to take wickets instead of just bowling to a plan.
"I probably leaked a few more runs than I would have liked.
"But I found a bit of rhythm late in this game, which was really pleasing."
Man-of-the-match Nic Maddinson made 162 in his debut for the Vics but suffered a broken arm when hit by a Jhye Richardson bouncer on Sunday and will be sidelined for up to six weeks.
Victoria are nearly nine points clear on top of the Shield table going into the BBL break, with WA fourth.
